Phones may become cheaper in Uzbekistan: Customs Committee announces important news

Uzbekistan is planning to reduce customs duties on mobile phone imports to zero, i.e., 0 percent, as part of its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). These changes could, in turn, lower the prices of mobile phones sold in our country by approximately 5 percent. This was announced by Farhod Olimjonov, a department head at the Customs Committee, during a press conference held at the Content Production Center.

WTO negotiations and impact on the budget

According to the responsible official, an agreement has already been reached on a 0 percent customs duty rate for the import of mobile devices during the ongoing negotiations for WTO accession.

Of course, the complete abolition of customs duties could reduce state budget revenues by 300–400 billion soums. At the same time, it is worth noting that the value-added tax (VAT) on the import of mobile devices will remain in effect.

"Such changes, implemented based on WTO requirements and international standards, will further improve the competitive environment in the domestic market."

Import volume and the rise of iPhone smartphones

According to official data provided by the Customs Committee, 4.1 million mobile devices were officially imported into Uzbekistan in January–October 2026. This figure is exactly 1 million units more compared to the same period last year.

Furthermore, during this period, customs payments from mobile device imports increased 2.1 times, reaching 2 trillion soums. Specifically, over the 10 months mentioned, more than 452,000 iPhone smartphones were imported into our country, and the customs duties paid for them reached 756.6 billion soums. This shows a 6.2-fold increase compared to the same period last year.

In your opinion, how will the reduction of customs duties to 0 percent and the 5 percent decrease in prices affect cases of gray market imports in the domestic market? Leave your thoughts in the comments!